“Amir, you may have ceded the home advantage to Lamont,” Mr. Barton said at a reception at the British Embassy, “but you - and he - should know this: There are a lot of us Brits here in Washington.

“We have had some notable victories here over the years. We even managed to burn down the White House in 1814!

“So, rest assured, come 10 December, you’ll have your share of local support. All of us are looking forward to another great British victory.”

British forces under the command of Gen. Robert Ross set fire to the White House, the Capitol and other government buildings on the evening of Aug. 24, 1814, two years after the outbreak of the War of 1812.

The war erupted over unsettled disputes over maritime trade and land between Britain and the United States, 29 years after the Treaty of Paris ended the American Revolution.

The war ended in another peace treaty in December 1814, but news of the accord failed to reach Andrew Jackson in time to prevent the Battle of New Orleans.

Jackson, who would be elected the seventh president of the United States in 1829, commanded an outnumbered, ragtag band of U.S. soldiers, freed slaves and pirates who inflicted massive casualties on British forces on Jan. 8, 1815.

The United States is preparing to commemorate the bicentennial of the conflict, which began with a congressional declaration of war against Britain in June 1812.

Mr. Barton uttered his fightin’ words at an Oct. 6 reception, where he introduced Khan, the light welterweight world champion. The 24-year-old boxer from Bolton, England, has won 26 professional fights and lost one. He won 18 fights with knockouts.

Peterson, the 27-year-old hometown hero, won half of his 30 fights with knockouts. He has lost only one professional match.

Boxers in the welterweight division must weigh no more than 140 pounds.

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About the Author

James Morrison joined the The Washington Times in 1983 as a local reporter covering Alexandria, Va. A year later, he was assigned to open a Times bureau in Canada. From 1987 to 1989, Mr. Morrison was The Washington Times reporter in London, covering Britain, Western Europe and NATO issues. After returning to Washington, he served as an assistant foreign editor ...